George Martin gets back to Beatles’ classic in Love

The recently released The Beatles : Love received plenty of press coverage because of producer George Martin’s re-working of Beatles’ classic. Well, does it work?

First, abit of background. Cirque du Soleil wanted to do a show based around the music of The Beatles. When the remaining members and their families agreed on this idea, George Martin (the producer of most of the original Beatles sessions) was asked to re-master the tapes so they would sound impressive on today’s state-of-the-art audio equipment. When Martin began his task, he decided to experiment and “mash-up” the tracks. An example of this would be Martin’s use of a drum beat from Ringo to combine “Within You Without You” with Tomorrow Never Knows”.

I listened to the CD and had the following impressions:
a) the sound quality is good, probably the best audiophile Beatles album
b) while it is amusing to hear the tracks differ from their original version, I don’t think the changes are catastrophic or even that daring

Outstanding tracks : #2 Get Back, #9 Something, #22 When My Guitar Gently Weeps

Verdict : it is a pleasant but hardly essential “Beatles” album. On the plus side, it will undoubtedly make many people revisit their Beatles albums.

A Battle Of Wits – finally a worthy Chinese period epic

Based on a Japanese manga, A Battle Of Wits stars Andy Lau as a military strategist whose mission is to save a besieged city against a superior army. The film is probably the biggest production commenced by Hong Kong Cable TV’s subsidiary film arm and marks the return of critically acclaimed director Jacob Cheung.

I found the film entertaining and less reliant on overpowering visions that have become the defining trademark of recent Chinese period epics. A Battle Of Wits discards vibrant colour schemes, flamboyant art design and eye-popping martial arts scenes in favour for a more riveting narrative. Responsible for scripting and directing the film, Jacob Cheung opts to concentrate on the strategy of how an inferior army can stifle supposedly superior forces. Viewers become engaged because they identify with the underdog and are eagarly to see how he outwits the enemy – in other words, Cheung relies on clever plot twists rather sheer action and directorial bravura to entertain viewers.

Andy Lau headlines the movie and is featured in pretty much all of the scenes. The pan-Asian cast includes respected actors from Hong Kong (Chin Siu-ho, Wu Ma), Taiwan (Nicky Wu Chi-lung), China (Fan Bingbing) and Korea (Ahn Sung Kee, Si Won Choi). All deliver respectable performances.

Verdict : another successful film based on a Japanese manga. In many ways superior to recent Chinese period epics The Promise and The Banquet. Recommended.

Pixelnotes : functional wall design that also looks funky

Imagine a room wallpapered with post-it notes. In reality designer Duncan Wilson came up with this idea and the concept even won awards. He calls the concept Pixelnotes and explains it as:

A wallpaper consisting of four layers of varying grey tones on a bright primary backing. Each layer is perforated in a grid format and backed with a tacky adhesive similar to ‘post-it’ notes. Pixelnotes is inspired by the way we work within a space. The walls become functional, an integrated noticeboard that documents our activity within the room. Pixelated formations and shapes develop according to our patterns of use.

I think it looks very interesting and is functional as well. I wonder what happens when you eventually use up all the note paper and whether it stands up to the humid weather of the tropics.

Link to Pixelnotes

Who is behind the shooting of Dr Strange?

Despite being the sorcerer supreme of this dimension, Doctor Strange has never had a good run with his own title back in the 1960s and 1970s. Currently, he doesn’t even have a regular series. Fortunately. Marvel has launched a 5-part mini-series titled Doctor Strange: The Oath recently and I am impressed with both the artwork and the plot.

Structured like a detective novel, the plot concerns a magic potion that can save Strange’s assistant Wong from a lethal tumour. Unfortunately, a burglar steals the potion and even manages to penetrate the good doctors protective spell and injury him. In issue #2, Strange sets off to recover the lotion and discover who is working against him behind the scenes.

Featuring the artwork of Marcos Martin, the look and feel of this title is positively retro and reminds me of Tim Sale’s excellent noirish artwork for Batman (the critically acclaimed The Long Halloween and Dark Victory) but with much brighter colours. I’m eager to see his treatment of the mystical battles that will take place in the upcoming issues.

Verdict : highly recommended

Bendis sets up Stark as possible S.H.I.E.L.D. head

Since the outbreak of Civil War, Brian Michael Bendis has been devoting an entire issue to explore the psyche of an individual Avenger each month. Some characters (like Ms. Marvel and Spider Woman) obviously lend themselves more to this approach than others (I’m thinking of the Sentry here). But what I dislike most about recent issues has been the constant change of artists – in this issue, luckily, the talented Jim Cheung (Young Avengers) picks up pencilling duties and delivers impressive artwork. I believe he is one of the break-out talents on the last 2 years.

In issue #25, Bendis takes a closer look at Iron Man, perhaps the most pivotal character in the Civil War event as the leading super-hero for super-hero registration. At the end of the issue, Bendis sets up Iron Man / Tony Stark as a possible future S.H.I.E.L.D. top man.

Verdict : not an essential read

Spider-Man finally changes sides in Civil War

It’s November and Marvel has rolled out their Civil War event for more than half a year. While the series is spread over many titles, the core Civil War miniseries ties all the strands together. This week saw the release of Civil War #5 among other Civil War tie-in titles.

In issue #5, Spider-Man confronts Iron Man about the Negative Zone super-hero prison, is pursued by released villains under S.H.I.E.L.D. control and ends up seriously hurt. Daredevil is held custody and Capt. America considers whether to let the Punisher join his underground team.

Marvel presents many intriguing issues with this title – among them the critical question of whether questioning authority [the government] implies treason. It makes it all the more interesting that the iconic Capt. America leads the rebels against the super-hero registration act. And it has been a long time since we’ve seen Spider-Man play a critical role in a Marvel Universe event.

Verdict : the only Civil War title worth following

Google Desktop upgrade : sidebar gets new look

Google Desktop’s latest upgrade contains several new features :

1. Transparency for sidebar
2. Icons on top left corner of gadgets
3. A cleaner look for gadgets
4. Drag and drop gadgets from sidebar to anyway on your desktop
5. Gadgets from Google (as opposed to 3rd party) received updated looks

Installation woes : initially I downloaded the release via Goggle Updater and while the download was successful and the sidebar was functioning, I could not set it to transparent. Subsequently, I un-installed and re-installed Google Sidebar – this time the sidebar achieved transparency. (Google Desktop download page)

Impressions : transparency gives Google sidebar a much sleeker look, in tune with Windows Vista and newer desktop skins. The gadgets themselves also appear smarter in general. Memory usage seems on par with previous release.

One can find many gadgets for Goggle Desktop and I find some of these very functional. Currently, the gadgets I have installed into the sidebar include : calendar (syncs with Goggle Calendar), photo gallery, web clips (RSS feeds), local weather, scratch pad and a system info panel.

Hendrix discography : keys albums to own

I recently encountered a forum thread where someone asked which Hendrix album to start off with. Granted that Hendrix only made 3 proper albums released when he was still alive, one could always opt to buy all 3. Anyway, here is a brief rundown.

Are You Experienced?
Hendrix’s debut. Songs are more traditional in structure and are basically 3-minute intro-bridge-solo rockers. This is where the radio hits are : Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, Manic Depression, Fire. Original US and UK versions differ. The Remasters edition combines the US and UK releases, adhering to neither original running order.

Axis: Bold As Love
A transitional album. Hendrix began to experiment with guitar textures, crafting soundscapes instead on 3-minute rock songs. There are fewer classics on this 2nd album, but the lovely Little Wing was originally released here.

Electric Ladyland
Hendrix goes all out on this classic that was to be his last officially released album. Features the iconic and controversial “naked ladies” cover that was to be replaced on later re-releases. Electric Ladyland contains blues jams (the 15-minute Voodoo Chile featuring Steve Winwood on organ), psychedelic epics (1983 . . . A Merman I Should Turn To Be) and full out rockers (All Along The Watch Tower, Voodoo Chile [slight return]). Initial Polydor CD release was on 2 CDs with fucked up the track order!!!

The Remasters edition corrects track order and fits all tracks onto 1 disc

Voodoo Soup
There are dozens of compilations of Hendrix’s unreleased tracks of his un-released fourth album tentatively titled First Rays of the New Rising Sun. The music alternates between socially conscious rockers (Freedom) to tender ballads (Angel) and stirring instrumentals (Pali Gap). I prefer this particular disc to some of some of the others produced and embellished by Eddie Kramer. Standout tracks include : Angel, Room Full Of Mirrors, Pali Gap, Drifting.

Live At Woodstock
Hendrix’s icon live performance featuring his legendary performance of The Star Spangled Banner. Hendrix was remarkable in the studio, highly conscious of overdubbing several guitar parts and utilized / pioneered many guitar effects etc. He can be very controlled in the studio, and in his early albums, even 3 minute songs can contain several awesome solos. Live, Hendrix is a totally different beast and in this context he explores the songs and improvises like a jazz musician. He seldom plays the a song the same way live, which is why you can own many live Hendrix albums without any problems. But the Woodstock performance remains the primary live set to have.

Santana III Legacy Edition : Santana at his very best

Browsing through my CD collection last week, I discovered that I didn’t own any vintage Santana albums on redbook CD. I do own a DTS version of Abraxas, which I very seldom listen to and don’t like very much because of the rather odd surround mix. So after doing some research on AMG online, I went out and acquired the Legacy Edition of Santana III. I opted for this album primarily because Carlos Santana recruited a very young Neal Schon into the band for this album and I was curious how much impact the twin guitar approach would have. Schon was only 15 at the time but plays a mean guitar that fares pretty well even against Santana himself.

The Legacy Edition of Santana III consists of the original album and 4 previously unreleased studio tracks on Disc 1 and a complete live concert on Disc 2. The 11 concert tracks were recorded at the Fillmore West on the 4th of July, 1971 and the music on Santana III made its first public debut there.

After giving both CDs their first spin on my system, I was thoroughly satisfied with this purchase and did not regret splashing the extra cash for the Legacy Edition bonuses. Judging by memory, Santana III sounds every bit as engaging and stunning as Abraxas. None of the 9 tracks that make up the original album can be considered remotely filler – and the 4 bonus tracks on Disc 1 are the rare case of high quality unreleased material and not garbage that ought to stay archived. I found the live Fillmore West concert equally rewarding. While the tracks don’t differ too greatly from the album versions, the playing is more open and relaxed. The live version of Black Magic Woman here features fills and solos by Neal Schon, and it sounds great. Another interesting track is Santana’s take of Joe Zawinul’s In A Silent Way – this song fully reflects free-flowing improvisation skills of the entire band and the music climate of that era.

Disc 1 outstanding tracks : #3 Taboo, #4 Toussaint L’Overture, #7 Jungle Strut, #Folsom Street – One
Disc 2 outstanding tracks : #6 Black Magic Woman, #8 In A Silent Way

Verdict : very highly recommended and a brilliant companion piece to Abraxas.

Triumph Japan makes grocery shopping sexy

Only in the land of the rising sun would an item like this be invented. Triumph Japan’s No! Shopping Bag Bra is a piece of lingerie that can be transformed into an environmentally friendly shopping bag. The bag part is folded and stored in the bra cup, thus doubling up as extra padding for the lady wearing the bra.

Apparently, the idea was to reduce the number of plastic bags women use when shopping in Japan. I am sure the male population in Japan would love to see this product popularized.

Source : Gizmodo

Annoying but effective alarm clock

Do traditional alarm clocks fail to get you out of bed? This gadget might be save you from getting to work late again!

This unique clock shoots out a propeller like blade when the alarm is set off and its owner must retrieve and place the propeller back onto the base unit before the alarm can be turned off. This means the owner must get out of bed and spend some time looking for the propeller unit and thus be forced to “wake up”.

Link to product page

Critics give Daniel Craig positive reviews as new 007

The latest 007 film Casino Royale will be released in the US next week and the first batch of major press reviews have already appeared on the web. All the reviews have been positive so far, earning the film a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (well, at least on 10 Nov the score was perfect)! Casino Royale was the first Bond novel to be published and this new film explores the early career of 007. The trailer can be found at the official film website (best viewed with Internet Explorer).

I was just reading Todd McCarthy’s review of the film at variety.com. He found the movie to be the first Bond in a while that’s not over-produced, and all the better for it. The producers have apparently decided to take Bond back to the basics and the film does not feature a ton of high tech gadgetry.

One of the biggest questions surrounding this production was whether Daniel Craig would live up to the role as the world’s most flamboyant secret agent. I think overall the public has been skeptical of Craig as a worthy Bond. In England, BBC’s Paul Arendt feels Craig is not a good Bond, but a great Bond. He believes this is the closest Bond we have seen so far that adheres to the character created by Ian Fleming.

Now, I must wait for the film to show in Hong Kong this Christmas.

JLA gets better and better!

JLA #3 surpassed my expectations! Riding high on the publicity of the relaunch as well as the freedom of creativity unleashed by the events of Infinite Crisis, JLA continues to deliver a very thrilling story. I think it is probably the one of the best monthly titles currently in print.

Issue #3 introduces some twists as Red Tornado begins to doubt the wisdom of inhabiting a mortal body instead of an android casing. The big three – Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman – continue their debate on which members to invite into the revamped JLA, but trouble comes knocking at the door. The issue contains a great action sequence where we see the Black Canary in full action and Hal Jordan doing some nasty ring slinging.

One of the joys of reading this JLA title is the sheer number of heroes and villains that appear in each issue. I just hope they can sustain this excellent effort.

Verdict : a definite must read

The Black Dahlia – a genuine disappointment

Brian De Palma has often made very interesting movies whether or not they do well at the box office. I thoroughly enjoyed his last movie Femme Fatale and thought it delivered a thrilling story, the right amount of sex appeal as well as De Palma’s trademark visual flair. It was with high expectations that I went to see his latest production The Black Dahlia.

Adapted from James Ellroy’s bestselling novel (which in turn used the real life murder of Elizabeth Short as a premise for his fiction), The Black Dahlia turned out to be a big disappointment. The characters in the film ought to be rough characters, all with unspeakable pasts and skeletons in the closet. The casting of Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnet is the single biggest reason the movie never flies – they simply fail to provide the characters with the moral ambiguity or depth required to make us interested enough to get drawn into the drama. One only needs to compare Josh Hartnett’s performance here to Russell Crowe’ turn in L.A. Confidential to see how unconvincing Hartnett is in the role.

Normally in a De Palma movie – and this is generally true even for his lesser films – the always imaginative camera work and tight editing keeps me on my seat. But in this movie, unfortunately, De Palma seems unusually subdued. Except for the craning shot that reveals the body of Elizabeth Short, there is little of his over-the-top style.

Inevitable, The Black Dahlia will be compared to the other Ellroy movie – L.A. Confidential. That movie managed to draw highly positive reviews with a largely unknown core cast (Guy Pierce and Russell Crowe) bolstered by stars like Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito and Kim Basinger. For me, L.A. Confidential made me care about the two main characters more than most films manage these days. I doubt The Black Dahlia will ever become a critics darling or a fan favourite.

Verdict : thought I’d never say this, but a boring and ultimately unsatisfying De Palma thriller. Go see L.A. Confidential instead.

Scarlett Johansson looks good and fails to impress

Mia Kirshner should have been given more screen time

Exiled : Ellen Chan makes a comeback!

Johnnie To’s Exiled was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival – most of the critics liked the film. I went out to see the movie when it started its run in Hong Kong.

In essence a very fine genre movie, Exiled is dominated by stylistic posing, unusual camera work, adrenaline-pumping action sequences and a genuine sense of fun. It is a marked departure from the serious tone of To’s two Election movies – in fact, it feels as if To has decided to have some fun after making two meticulous crafted “message” films. I think there is more gunplay in the opening scene than all the action in both Election movies. Filmed in Macau, the locations in Exiled feel exotic and critics have been quick to point out the movie’s spaghetti western overtones. This actually makes sense as the characters are out to settle a score that dates back to their shared past (a common theme in spaghetti westerns) and the finale even resembles a typical shootout.

The movie has an all-star cast of Hong Kong actors and To regulars. My comments on each are as follows.

Anthony Wong : I preferred his performance in Exiled to his acclaimed turn in Initial D. Enjoyable and entertaining.
Roy Cheung : I confess that I have always liked to watch Cheung. He has great screen presence. He looks cool in this movie.
Richie Jen : Unexpectedly, I actually enjoyed him in this film.
Simon Yam : Yam is a very capable and under-rated actor. I think his best performance in recent years was in the first Election movie.
Lam Ka-tung : Nothing special and very similar to his turn in Election.
Cheung Siu-fai : An unusual comic role for the veteran.
Lam Suet : More of the same from the reliable Lam Suet, who is just getting the same roles over and over again.
Francis Ng : Not a particularly outstanding performance.
Josie Ho : Had very little to do.
Ellen Chan: I think she actually looks better than she did back in her more “glamorous” days. She plays a hooker who is one of the characters that survives in the end.
Nick Cheung : Starring in this company highlights his shortcomings as an actor.

Verdict : recommended but a very different beast from the two Election films

Terragen : a powerful landscape image generator

As I was searching for some high resolution wallpapers, I came across a landscape generator called Terragen. Quite a few of the more dazzling wallpapers that I downloaded give credit to this software. Apparently, Terragen is free for general and non-commercial use. The free download has a cap on resolution for the images it generates – which is naturally unlocked if you eventually decide to pay for it. As a free software, Terragen is still able to produce images up to 1280 x 960.

In terms of features, Terragen offers plenty of options from cloud textures to control of camera angles, amount of terrain, water and the angle of sunlight. I found Terragen to be a very powerful software and while it has a medium-to-high learning curve, I did have a load of fun of the program.

Link to Terragen website

Screenshot of Terragen

A random landscape I generated